Paul Reed keeps making the Pistons look smart for moving on from Isaiah Stewart.
Detroit’s trade of the fan favorite and elite interior defender came after a 60-win season and the franchise’s first playoff series victory in nearly 20 years, so the deal raised eyebrows right away. The Pistons sent Stewart out for draft compensation with an eye on opening the door for Reed to take on the backup center job, and on Sunday, Oct. 25, Reed gave them a strong early return.
With Jalen Duren sidelined by injury, Reed moved into the starting five and played 23 key minutes in Detroit’s 106-93 win over the previously undefeated Philadelphia 76ers. He finished with eight points, eight rebounds, four offensive rebounds, two assists and three blocks, and the value went beyond the box score. He brought order when things could have gotten messy, and that kind of steadiness is exactly what Detroit was betting on.
The point isn’t that Stewart couldn’t have produced similar numbers. It’s that the Pistons believed Reed needed room to grow, and there simply weren’t enough minutes to go around with Stewart still on the roster.
So far, that gamble is paying off.
Stewart still has a real case as one of the NBA’s best rim protectors and a major impact player. If Duren’s sprained ankle lingers once he returns, Detroit may still have questions to answer about the move. But the Pistons were also trying to solve a clear problem on offense, and Reed gives them more there than Stewart does while still holding up defensively.
That mattered for a team that struggled to create shots in 2025-26. Reed may not solve that issue by himself, but he is a more versatile offensive piece who can help alongside Cade Cunningham and Duren. Detroit also went after additional shooters to improve spacing, and that push toward offense without giving up defensive quality helped push Stewart out the door.
Reed’s own defensive profile gives the move even more weight. In 2025-26, he averaged 2.4 blocks and 2.3 steals per 36 minutes, and Basketball Index had him in the 95th percentile in rim protection, the 97th percentile in rim disruption and the 94th percentile in overall screener defense.
The sample is still small, but Reed is carrying that same form into 2026-27 and backing up the Pistons’ belief that he was the better player to build around in this spot.
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Daniss Jenkins was a big part of that against the 76ers, finishing with 18 points, eight rebounds and six assists while helping steady a lineup that has needed role players to step forward quickly. John Collins has been part of that picture too, as Detroits early success has come less from splashy headlines and more from the sort of contributions that can quietly change the tone around a team. [Read more 🡒]